I wanted to learn this my whole life, and I'm a little long in the tooth but finally have a chance. I think building is a dying art, and it's an honor to watch an elder do it. Thank you!!
Guys, just wanted too thank you so much for taking the time too make these videos!! I really appreciate your unbias opinions on the aircraft that you own and fly. There are way too many people on you tube who get free planes too review and you can tell they are only in it for the free stuff!!! Those people do not offer an unbias opinion and only say good things about the plane that they are reviewing. I really trust your input and the value your family gives back too this great hobby!!!!!!!!!!
First covering I've ever seen. I'm a foamie flyer did a bolsa build years ago got up to finishing the wing build and was my mother was having a cabernet moved in to the spare room I was working in job was on the floor on huge wooden board and it got stood on as they walked backwards into the room and cruched it. I threw the towl in had not purchased engine servo's or controller so I cut my losses. Now I have 2 foamies, to my point so many balsa build guys kind of look down on the foamie side of the hobbie I get it after watching this my word the little tricks and skills that take years to learn and develop, and us foamie owners come walking into a club saying I built this took me a couple hours 🤦♂️ I feel a little foolish, great video I have new found respect for builders and I will state I assembled my foamie planes from now. Great vid awsome skills👍
This is a great video. Thank you so much for making and sharing it. I'm making a Kadet LT-40 and am new to this (first balsa kit for me). After watching this I'm stuck debating on whether to glue in the easy hinges before or after covering. The way you do it looks so awesome, but from others I've asked at the field (and also made a redit post on this), all say 100% cover first and "the hinges will get in the way". Though, doing the hinges first and covering after as you've shown looks so much simpler and elegant.
Getting back into the hobby after 25 years... and I thought I knew everything about covering; I always used to get nice comments at the field. But one can always learn... I've never "sealed" my control surfaces in, but now I'm going to give it a shot with a Goldberg J3 Cub I have- still in the box after all these years. Your hinge sealing method looks easier than what I have done for years, and more efficient aerodynamically. Picking up this one tip was worth my watching the entire video, and I certainly appreciate your taking the time to teach us old dogs unlearned tricks. Two irons is also a great idea as well as the wood burner "pencil" technique. Thank you again, and may God bless you to keep flying for many years to come.
Thanks for the covering video. I definitely struggle with covering jobs. Alot of good tips and tricks of the trade.. I have a wing to cover now, Glad I saw this video before I started... Thanks again.
Coming here from your fb post. Thank you for this. New guys like me need this kind of content. I am very thank full. even build videos would be great. Us new guys sure could use a push into the deep end of this hobby to on aspects of building too. Again thank you. Subscribed.
I'm getting ready to recover a sweet stick 40 and I'm going to try your method of sealing the hinge gap so I don't have to cut the hinges out and rehinge it!
You guys are the best at building and covering that I've ever seen! I wish I could get that quick and good at it! I've built a lot of planes but it always took me a good while! What's the secret? Lol
Thank you for sharing this great video. So... is it ok to put the Ultrastripe red trim right over on top of the Monocoat? I am new at using these two products. I usually use silk and dope.
@@mbmrc5241 I don't really think it's necessary. I've only done a few of my airframes and it didn't make a difference. I just get a nice tight hinge line.
Best covering video I've seen to date. Do you use a sanding sealer before sanding on your wings before covering them? Is the Monokote process the same as the Ultracote? Your wing TE-to-Aileron hinge line covering is very similar to the Gap Seals we use on real aircraft to lessen drag. Keep'em coming MBM.
Never owned a seniorita but would love to have one as far as the twist in your wing it can easily be fixed by laying it with the straight panel flat on a table twisted side out have a friend twist the wing straight while you re shrink the covering top and bottom and it should come out pretty respectable
@@martinkolm1796 I did try to twist and heat. It helped but still took a lot of right rudder to keep the plane level. It would have made a great free flight airplane. It would fly a circle about a quarter mile across. Lol
I have an old a-justo-jig that I will often times use for tapered wings or even more complex symmetrical. Flat bottom or tabbed ribs are generally built on my bench using a nice flat piece of drywall. My son does the fuselage and tail feathers using a center line over or on the plan. Depending on the build most often ply doublers are put down with a thin coat of epoxy. Sometimes we clamp in place and use thin c/a to wick in the wood then reinforce by brushing wood glue around edges such as lightning holes and so on this makes for a great surface weld if you will
Thank you for an excellent video. How did you cut the red strip so straight or is it precut to that width? Wouldn't cutting with scissors give an inherently crooked edge?
I lay the covering on a piece of tempered Masonite and use a drywall square and a sharp exacto knife. You must hold the drywall square firmly so the covering doesn’t slip when you cut it. Great question thanks
Incredible job you two do covering planes. What brand do you use on most your planes? They look flawless, no sags or wrinkles. I've been doing it for 35 plus years and cant ever come close to your jobs..
Was gonna say you missed a most crucial step. I didn't see you poke a screwdriver, landing great, once I used a doorknob on a doped wing through a wing panel. I know it's not in the covering instructions SO I like to point it out. I have confirmed this with others. Stickers are your friend.
Hi there,love your covering video and I have question for you witch is what brand of iron do u use for your hot iron and does it mark the covering with no sock on it,I appriciate your comments thanks.
Both my irons are old sealector sealing irons I absolutely love them I use two different shoes on them one is sort of rounded in the front the other is sort of pointy both have some sort of coating on them that for the most part does little to no damage I’m not a big fan of the sock they don’t seem to transfer the heat as well for me. The irons can be purchased on e bay pretty cheap since the company is no longer in business try one you will love it
Wonderful job.... congratulations!!! Unfortunately in Brazil we've difficulty to buy Monokote, we need to import chinakote from China that is very worst product, it's very thin!!!! Hugs
Unfortunately I don’t have temperature indicators on either iron I just experiment on scrap pieces until I find what works best then I mark the setting on the iron because inevitably I will bump it at some point
Looks like ultacoat, pulling at the seems, I love working with monokote too bad it’s discontinued anyway great job and my favorite and first plane was sig lt25 surpass 40 awesome best plane
The sun has a shrinking effect on plastic coverings. I wonder how the sun shrinking the covering (both sides) will effect that hinge line? Stiff ailerons? Minimized throw?
Well I can say living in ohio isn’t the sunniest place in the world but it does shine occasionally and has not posed a problem thus far however if you try to shrink that hinge line with a heat gun what you say will come true, so it is very important that if you use this method use only a sealing iron on the hinge line and deflect the control surface as shown in the video. Thanks for the comment it could happen I suppose if your climate is warmer than sunny Ohio
@@martinkolm1796 .... Good tip! When you are doing plastic covering wrinkle maintance.... stay away from the hinge line! Do you have an opinion on using Blenderm tape for sealing the hinge gap?
I personally have never used that tape. Worse case scenario when using covering is in the event the hinge gap should get tight simply cut the covering on the hinge line with an xacto knife and seal that covering down with a trim iron, then cut a 1 inch wide strip of covering and re seal the hinge line making sure to give it full deflection as shown in the video. I really have had virtually no problems with this method it looks nice and with a little care taken when shrinking is necessary will pose very little problems and most importantly reduces flutter . Thanks again
That particular iron was a sealector I purchased on e bay the coating is some type of Teflon type coating. I am currently using a alien iron that works very nice.
I don’t believe I have ever seen that one. Is it some type of low temperature covering because some of that stuff can be a little tricky and in the long run it just won’t stay put very frustrating
Lay the covering material shiny side down use a drywall square or equivalent straight edge holding it firmly with an xacto knife cut your preferred width and length. We use a piece of tempered Masonite on the bottom so we don’t damage the table or the knife
